The reverberations of the UAW strike are being felt throughout the automotive world, most notably impacting the hot-rodding community. Stellantis, reeling from the economic implications of the strike, has announced a pullback from two major events in the auto industry’s calendar: the SEMA event in Las Vegas and the LA Auto Show. This decision comes as the company grapples with mounting costs related to the ongoing strike, which has forced both Ford and GM to make similar hard choices.
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Stellantis’ recent press statement highlighted the company’s challenges, stating: “Given the escalating costs from the continuous UAW strike, Stellantis finds it necessary to withdraw from its scheduled showcases at the upcoming SEMA (October 31 – November 3, 2023) and the LA Auto Show (November 16-26, 2023). This action is a significant element of our contingency strategy.”
The fallout doesn’t stop there. Speculations are rife that Stellantis may also reconsider its presence at the forthcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and might delay its new product press previews. This restructuring of plans is particularly poignant, given that fans were eagerly anticipating fresh announcements and glimpses of forthcoming products from Dodge, Ram, and other brands in the Stellantis family.
As the UAW strike’s ripple effect continues to manifest, Fox Business News highlighted that apart from Stellantis’ 1,530 laid-off workers, GM and Ford have also felt the heat with 2,320 and 2,730 workers laid off, respectively. This includes the recent axing of 100 jobs at Stellantis’ Toledo-based Jeep plant, which manufactures the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator.
